JOIN USCongress strongman and gun-wielding MP Vitthal Radadiya on Friday crossed over to the BJP along with his son and supporters at Dhoraji, marking complete decimation of the Congress in Rajkot.
With a dozen criminal cases against him, former Porbander MP Radadiya begins a new political innings after 18 years in the Congress.
The induction of Radadiya, who had started his political innings as an independent candidate and joined the BJP before moving out of the party along with Shankarsinh Vaghela is, however, only a part of the strategy that is increasingly looking at getting back former BJP leaders in the state, who had parted ways with the party in three cases of rebellions that it had seen in last seventeen years.
“The father-son duo bring in further energy.. they posses huge energy to serve the people and with them on board we can now achieve heights of development in Gujarat,” Modi said.
Radadiya said his time in the Congress was useless.
“Despite difficult conditions I managed to flutter, for the Congress party in the region and I worked day and night but when it came to giving something in return, the party branded me a criminal, they just forgot what I have done for the party,” he said.
As a matter of fact, Radadiya’s return to the BJP marks a serious reversal of fate for the saffron party in the volatile Saurashtra region, which until Assembly elections last year was appearing as the Achilles heel for BJP.
But on Friday Radadiya brought along Congress Rajkot District President Gordhan Dhameliya, Rajkot District Dairy Chairman Govind Ranparia, Congress City presidents of Dhoraji, Gondal and Jetpur, all the Congress members of Upleta and Kandorna Block Panchayats and five members of Rajkot District Co-operative Bank.
Radadiya himself is a strong leader of the Leuva sub-section of the powerful Patel community. The strongest of Patel leader Keshubhai also belongs to the same sub-section and Radadiya’s induction is likely to tilt the balance in BJP’s favour.